19 dogs rescued from WNC breeder

Published: Monday, April 29, 2013 at 9:48 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, April 29, 2013 at 9:48 a.m.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Humane Society of Charlotte has rescued 19 dogs from a breeder in western North Carolina.

Officials say the dogs were confined in concrete kennels in a building with a leaky roof and no heating or air conditioning. Some of the Maltese-breed dogs had matted hair and wet fur. Others suffered from dental and eye problems.

The dogs were rescued Saturday after the owner of a western North Carolina puppy operation agreed to give them up.

The owner promised to get veterinary care for the doges left behinds, said Shelly Moore, Humane Society president.

Jorge Ortega with the Humane Society would not identify the owner or the location of the operation, saying he did not want to interfere with an animal control investigation.

The Humane Society used to respond to only a couple of puppy mill raids a year. In the past couple of years, the group has participated in four to six rescues annually, Moore said.

The number of people operating puppy mills in North Carolina has increased in recent years, after several failed attempts to pass legislation on the issue, said Charlotte humane society veterinarian Judi Vogt.

"Usually what you see is lack of veterinary care and lack of normal, common maintenance," Vogt said. "The dogs usually aren't shaved. They have bad teeth, bad eyes, bad feet, bad skin."

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